Being Successful Wisdom Regarding Wealth Why Poverty

Being Successful

Wisdom Regarding Wealth

Why Poverty

Rages to riches

Anyone can become poor

Make sure you stay away from sinful habits that lead to poverty

Guard yourself from those who would extort you

Set aside for the day of disaster

Wisdom Regarding Wealth

Why Poverty

Poverty hurts us all.

We can point our fingers at government, big corporations,

racism, and a host of other things for being the problem. 

Can poverty be fixed?

The Hebrew word for poor is to be “weak or thin”.

Poverty is a state of weakness.

The factors that cause this weakness

come from within as well as without.

  

Forces from without are

described in the Book of Proverbs.

Some are poor because of

circumstances beyond their control.

Greed of others

Proverbs 30:14

Usury (Unreasonable interest) Extortion

(obtaining through force or threats)

Proverbs 28:8

Natural disaster, illness, physical and mental, persecution

Others are poor because of their own conduct.

Laziness (sluggard)

Proverbs 6:6-11; 10:4; 20 13; 24:30-34

Laziness is something that catches up to you.

Many people live out the life of the things they have.

Like a house…

 The grass needs to be mowed

the house needs paint and maintenance.

There are those things that need daily attention…

 Like cleaning

And those things that come due

over time, like roof replacement.

Lazy people let these things go until they

are overwhelming and they can’t afford them.

Refusing to heed correction

Proverbs 13:18

Pleasure seeking

Proverbs 21:17

Drunkenness, gluttony, over sleeping

Proverbs 23:21

Wasting time on fantasies, frivolous things

Proverbs 12:11; 28:19

To deal with poverty we need

to realize where it comes from.

If it comes from external factors like disease,

natural disaster, greed of others or our

own laziness and other sinful habits.

Poverty happens when apathy,

 loss of hope sets in the heart.

Dependency, dishonesty, ignorance also fosters poverty.

The Bible has a lot to say about poverty and

the importance of remembering the poor.

We should note that this devotional focuses

on reasons for poverty, not the solutions.

The Scripture gives us answers to the poverty problem

and in the next devotional I will share some of them.

.

Rages to riches

Anyone can become poor

Make sure you stay away from

sinful habits that lead to poverty.

Guard yourself from those who would extort you.

Set aside for the day of disaster.

Scripture Reading

Proverbs 30:14

14 those whose teeth are swords

and whose jaws are set with knives

to devour the poor from the earth,

the needy from among mankind. NIV

Proverbs 28:8

8 He who increases his wealth by exorbitant interest

amasses it for another, who will be kind to the poor. NIV

Proverbs 6:6-11

6 Go to the ant, you sluggard;

consider its ways and be wise!

7 It has no commander,

no overseer or ruler,

8 yet it stores its provisions in summer

and gathers its food at harvest.

9 How long will you lie there, you sluggard?

When will you get up from your sleep?

10 A little sleep, a little slumber,

a little folding of the hands to rest — 

11 and poverty will come on you like a bandit

and scarcity like an armed man.   NIV

Proverbs 10:4

4 Lazy hands make a man poor,

but diligent hands bring wealth. NIV

Proverbs 14:23

23 All hard work brings a profit,

but mere talk leads only to poverty. NIV

Proverbs 20:13

13 Do not love sleep or you will grow poor;

stay awake and you will have food to spare. NIV

Proverbs 24:30-34

30 I went past the field of the sluggard,

past the vineyard of the man who lacks judgment;

31 thorns had come up everywhere,

the ground was covered with weeds,

and the stone wall was in ruins.

32 I applied my heart to what I observed

and learned a lesson from what I saw:

33 A little sleep, a little slumber,

a little folding of the hands to rest — 

34 and poverty will come on you like a bandit

and scarcity like an armed man.   NIV

Proverbs 13:8

8 A man's riches may ransom his life,

but a poor man hears no threat. NIV

Proverbs 13:18

18 He who ignores discipline comes to poverty and shame,

but whoever heeds correction is honored. NIV

Proverbs 21:17

17 He who loves pleasure will become poor;

whoever loves wine and oil will never be rich. NIV

Proverbs 23:21

21 for drunkards and gluttons become poor,

and drowsiness clothes them in rags. NIV

Proverbs 12:11

11 He who works his land will have abundant food,

but he who chases fantasies lacks judgment. NIV

Proverbs 28:19

19 He who works his land will have abundant food,

but the one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty. NIV